Abstract

Background/purpose Periodontitis is a prevalent infectious inflammatory disease. Growing evidence has revealed important roles for circular RNAs (circRNAs) and circRNA sponge activity in periodontitis. Here, we elucidated the precise part of circ_0097010 in periodontitis pathogenesis. Materials and methods Human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated by CCK-8 assay, EdU incorporation assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Circ_0097010, microRNA (miR)-769-5p and Krüppel like factor 6 (KLF6) were quantified by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) level, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) secretion, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Dual-luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull-down assays were used to confirm the direct relationship between miR-769-5p and circ_0097010 or KLF6. Results Our data showed that LPS repressed cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis and inflammation in hPDLCs. Circ_0097010 was upregulated in periodontitis samples and LPS-exposed hPDLCs. Downregulation of circ_0097010 exerted anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammation functions in LPS-exposed hPDLCs. Mechanistically, circ_0097010 acted as a miR-769-5p sponge, and reduced abundance of miR-769-5p reversed the anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammation effects of circ_0097010 suppression. KLF6 was a direct miR-769-5p target, and miR-769-5p-mediated inhibition of KLF6 possessed anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammation functions in LPS-induced hPDLCs. Moreover, circ_0097010 controlled KLF6 expression by miR-769-5p. Conclusion These data identify circ_0097010 as a key regulator of LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis in hPDLCs and highlight a novel mechanism of circ_0097010 regulation through miR-769-5p/KLF6 axis.